The publication addresses the circumstances of the modern form of slavery in spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, India, which has so far been discussed under the heading of Sumangali, now referred to as modern slavery or camp work.
It focuses on the following three areas:
How do the nature and structure of the textile and clothing industry, together with government funding, influence workers' wages and working conditions at the beginning of the global supply chain?
What are the textile industry, government and civil society doing to improve the working and living conditions of workers engaged in modern slavery?
How can a better balance be achieved between economic growth and the rights of workers in the textile and clothing industry?
These points are dealt with in four chapters with the aim of finding opportunities for change that take into account local, cultural and socio-political circumstances. The study provides an overview of Tamil Nadu’s textile industry, the working conditions there, the proposals, the measures taken by the government, including the non-actions, and finally the responses from civil society.
Editorial team: Burckhardt, Dr., Gisela; Hergt, Johanna; Fischbeck